Improved railroad-spike



UNITED STATES WILLIAM MONT STORM, OF HARLEM PATENT *QFFICE.

,- NEW YORK, Assien'on TO HIMSELF IMPROVED RAILROAD-SPIKE.-

Specificationforming part of Letters Patent No. A94, dated June 27,1s0s.

To all whom it may concern; I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M ON'l STORM,

- of Harlem, in the countyIandiState of New York, haveinvented a new and Improved Serrated Railroad-Spike; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and" use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

' The present invention relates to certain new and useful in'iprovenients in the construction of spikesfor'fastening rails or rail-chairs to the sleepers or cross-tiesof railroads, the principal object of which is to produce a spike which,

when driven into the sleeper and brought to its proper bearing on the rail or chair,-shall be then so fastened within the sleeper that the movement of the cars upon and over the rails cannot in the least degree loosen them and finally withdraw the same from the sleeper, as

has hitherto resulted from the manner of constructingthespikesusedforthesepurposes. By my improvements the loosening otithe spikes usually caused by the movement of the cars over the rails is not only entirely prevented, but the spike is so constructed that it can be easily withdrawn from the sleeper when desired to remove the rail to lay a new one in its place, and then inserted again, if desired or necessary, in the same opening from which it was withdrawn, and yet still hold the rail with sufficient tightness to and on the sleeper, which was not possible with the ordinary spikes heretol'ore employed, and the advantages of which are evident. i

I accomplishthe above-described results by forming on the shaft of the spike at points di-" ametrically opposite to each other a series of projecting teeth, made of suitable shape, and extending nearlythe entirelength of the same, terminating at its lower end in a wedge having its line of intersectionof the two inclined sides at right angles to", the direction of the said teeth. The upper portion of the spikeshaft is of cylindrical shape, and of a diameter equal to the. greatest diameter of the serrated portion ofthe same, and has a flat-shaped headprojectin g over its sides. First place the spike, constructed as described, by its wedge end, upon the'sieeper, with its edge across the grain, and then drive or force it into the same bystriking, as in ordinary spikes, until its scrrated portion is entirely within the wood, when, by turning the spike within the sameby means of any suitablewrench applied to its head,'its teeth are caused to thoroughly interlock with the fibers ofthe wood, where'byanyupward play of the spike is prevented, and its teeth will slways tightly hold it in the sleepers as is evient.

In the accompanying. drawings my improvement is represented, of which Figure 1 is a side view of the spike, showing the teeth of the same and the spike-shaft in its larger diameter. Fig. 2 is a side View, showing the same in its smaller diameter. Fig. 3 is a cross-section in plane of line 00 m, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a crosspresently described;

parts.

a a in the drawings represent a spike, made of any desired length and size b b, its shaft, on two sides of which, diametrically opposite to each other, are formed a series of projecting teeth, 0 c c, 850., of any desired size and shape, number, and distance apart and extending nearly for the whole length of the same,but terminating at its lower end in a wedge-shaped piece, 01, having the line of intersection of its two inclined surfaces at; right angles to the longer diameter of the spike-shaft. The top portion of the spike-shaft b is formed in the shape of a perfect cylinder, f, the diameter of which is equal to the larger diameter of the shalt, and terminates in a flat square-shaped projecting head, 9, as in ordinary spikes,'with this difference, that it projects over the shaft upon three in lieu of only one side.

The spike, as thuscon'structed and formed, is, when to be driven into the sleeeper, placed upon the same with the wedge end across its length or grain, and then by means of a hammer or suitable implement driven into the sleeper until it has penetrated the same a sufii,

lindrical part of the shaft shall be within it, and that .when the spike is set the under side, ii, of its head shall bear upon the rail restin'gon the sleeper and tightly hold the same thereon and thereto. The spike, is then turned by sectioh showin-g spike in sleeper, as will be Similar letters of reference indicate like cient distance thatat least a portion of the ey rail, the

sired, when it is easily made therein by the means of a" wrench applied to its head, bringing the head of the same over and upon the teeth on its shaft penetrating and interlockin g with the fibers of the wood,wh ereby they will prevent, as is evident, any upward vibration or movement of the spike, however great the tendency of the cars in passing over the rails may be to vibrate the same, thereby securing a spike i'or railroad purposes which can never be loosened after having been once driven-into the sleepers, except it be so deremoved therefrom by simply turning its head back to its original position and then withdrawing it, as with the ordinary spike. v

It is, 'of course, evident that in driving or forcing the spike into the sleeper the opening same corresponds to its contour or periphery, and that therefore when the spike is turned within the sleeper, as described, openings t t must necessarily beleft therein corresponding to the shapeand size of the teeth,'into which, were no means provided to prevent it, moisture and rain would penetrate, causing the spike to rust and the sleeper to decay. To prevent this the upper portion of the spike-shaft is made of suffieient diameter to entirely fill the same.

In lieu ot'inaking the spike in the shape of a wedge at its lower end, it may terminatein a sharp point; audit is evident, also,'that there. are various kinds and shapes of teeth which may ther, that there are a great number of varia tions which -may be made inthe peculiar shape and construction of the above-described spike without departing from; the principle 'of the present invention, which is to so construct a spike for holding rails, 8210., to and on the sleepers, or for other similar purposes, that after having been driven into the same it can then be, as it were, locked or so fastened therein as to be wholly unaffected by any tendency parts held to separate, whereby a strong, secure, and permanent fastening for rails, &c., is obtained, and one which the movement of the cars over the rails can in no way loosen, the advantages of which are evident and need no particular mention herein. One important advantage, however, resultingfrom my improved construction of the spike over others heretofore used is that a spike can be withdrawn from the sleeper and then inserted in the same hole, if necessary or desirable, and still have a strong ho!d upon the rail, as is evident.

, Having thus described myinvention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- As an improved article of manufacture, a

railroad-spike made substantially as herein described. 7

WM. MONT-i STORM. Witnesses:

M. M. Llvnvescron,

ALBERT W. BROWN.

be formed upon the spike-shaft; and,fur-

of the. 

